The courtroom turned into a pressure cooker Monday as Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney spent hours tearing into the psychiatrist who treated the mom before she allegedly strangled her three young children, according to court testimony.
Dr. Jennifer Tufts faced a blistering cross-examination from Kevin Reddington, who questioned whether the shrink truly had the expertise to handle Clancy’s postpartum struggles.
Reddington pressed Tufts about her experience, noting she had only been working at a private practice for one month before taking on Clancy as a patient in September 2022.
“If you advertise as an expert in postpartum and you have a month of experience, plus a residency, would you consider that to be negligent or misrepresentation?” Reddington asked.
Tufts pushed back, saying she never claimed to be an expert, but rather described postpartum as an interest of hers.
The 35-year-old Duxbury mother first saw Tufts four months before the tragic January 2023 deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan, court documents claim.
Reddington also zeroed in on Tufts’ decision to prescribe the antidepressant Zoloft, which has a known side effect of insomnia, despite Clancy reporting trouble sleeping.
“Why would you prescribe Zoloft to a young woman who is postpartum, who is telling you she has anxiety and telling you she can’t sleep?” Reddington asked.
Tufts defended her choice, calling Zoloft a first-line medication for anxiety, and noted that patients have varied responses to drugs.
Clancy reportedly only took Zoloft for eight days after experiencing severe symptoms, including brain fog, racing thoughts, and paranoia about suicidal thoughts, according to testimony.
The defense attorney also highlighted that Tufts never saw Clancy in person during their sessions, only through telehealth.
“Did you give her a hug? Oh no, you were on telehealth so you couldn’t, could you?” Reddington said.
Tufts responded that hugging patients is not standard practice for psychiatrists.
Reddington is reportedly aiming to prove Clancy was not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis allegedly worsened by medications.
The trial continues Tuesday with more testimony from other medical providers who treated Clancy.
What will the jury decide about a mother who says she heard voices telling her to harm her own children?
